The Birth Of Death
by The All-Seeing Sharingan
Summary: Despised and disparaged since birth, she is filled with a loathing of all humans, and a thirst for their blood that cannot be satiated. Such is the life of the Kuro Shi, the Black Death Assassin. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

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The Birth Of Death

The life and times of the Black Death assassin

**Chapter One**

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I never asked to be born what I was. I never asked to be born at all. Had it been up to me, I wouldn't have ever existed in the form I took upon entering this world.

Half-blood. Half-breed. Half-demon. However you chose to say it, it meant the same thing. And it was what I was. To make it worse, my parents weren't even married. Not to each other, at least. My mother was human, married to one of Konohagakure's better-known shinobi, known as the "White Lightning," Hatake Sakumo. He was often away on important missions, and I suppose my mother got...bored, for lack of a better word, while he was out of town. As I was told, my father was a cat demon who traveled the country as a bounty hunter, and stopped in the village while my mother's husband was away on a mission to Mizugakure. My mother quickly took a liking to him, and I was born soon after he left for Sunagakure in pursuit of a target. Sakumo had returned not long before, and although he was incredibly hurt upon learning of his wife's affair, with a youkai, no less, he recognized me as his own child, despite my obvious differences from the rest of his family. His son, my half-brother, seemed indifferent at the time. Of course, Kakashi, only being seven, could be expected to be absorbed in his own life and trials and caring nothing for such things as a younger sibling.

I never met my real father. If he had ever bothered to grace his half-blood daughter with so much as a glimpse of him, I don't remember. The only things I had to convince me that he had ever existed were the black leather collar with the golden bell and the Roman numeral tattoo he had insisted be carved into the skin below my right shoulder: "XIII." Unlucky thirteen. An omen of what was to come? A subtle hint as to all the things I would be forced to endure? Foreshadowing of the things I would do, of what I would become? Who knows. But if he did know, if he could see my future, he was one sick son of a bitch to do this to me.

Upon Sakumo's death, I was left without a father figure at all. It wouldn't matter, however. I didn't need one. Sure, a father could have prevented my mental and emotional instability, but these scars have made me what I am today. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. And this power, I would change for nothing else. This strength is all I need.

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"Get lost, half-breed."

Once again, I was getting kicked out of a public place by the other kids, this time being evicted from my place under my favourite tree in the park, where I spent most of my free time reading whatever I could get my hands on.

"For God's sake, this is a public place, ain't it? I can read here if I want to," I snapped in my defiant seven-year-old voice, tired of having to get up and find a different place to read. I had been doing that all morning, and it was really starting to piss me off. Already, I was the most looked-down-upon figure in Konohagakure, and I hadn't even become a Chuunin yet. Graduating from the ninja academy had been easy for me. My chakra control was much better than most my age, and the amount of chakra my body contained was off the charts, at least for a place populated almost entirely by humans. Performing the Bunshin no Jutsu to pass and become a Genin was a simple task for me, and I found it annoying that they wouldn't give me a more difficult test. But, still, Genin was Genin, so I took what I was given and did as I was told on missions while trying to keep myself above bickering with my rival, Uchiha Itachi. I never did win an argument with him, and fighting him would just be stupid. But I never quit trying to best him in other things, be it training exercises or getting a higher score in the written part of the Chuunin exams. But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

"Yeah, it's a public place, so what?"

"So that means everyone can be here, stupid," I said, calmly flipping another page over and continuing to read.

"Yeah, but I'm not so sure you count as someone. You're not a person."

My eye twitched. My voice lowered a bit, remaining calm, but with a dangerous edge to it. "You want to repeat that, jerk?"

"Yeah. You're not a person, half-breed."

In an instant, my book was on the ground and he was up against a tree, my hand at his throat. "Demons and half-demons are people too, bastard. That's like saying someone with a different skin colour isn't a person. That's like saying someone with a birth defect isn't a person. It's racism, pure and simple. And if you're going to purposely say those things to piss me off, I'm gonna show you exactly how my people deal with jackasses like you."

I didn't really know how "my people" dealt with people they hated. From what I had heard, some of them tore out their enemies' throats, or just plain tore them apart. I wasn't actually going to do that, but I figured if I scared this idiot enough, he'd leave me alone, at least until tomorrow.

I tossed him aside and glared down with my gold-hued eyes, satisfied when I saw him shudder. "Now get the Hell away from me, before I get _really_ pissed."

He stood up and ran away. However, his last words before doing so didn't escape my sensitive ears.

"_Just die, bakemono._"

My interest in my book was gone. Picking it up, I turned the corner of the page down to mark my place and turned to leave, my eyes meeting those of my older brother.

"Kuro, you're only making things worse for yourself by doing that," he told me through the mask he always wore over his face, his one visible eye looking bored. "You're only making them believe that they're right about you."

"They'd believe they were right no matter what I do, Nii-san," I muttered. "They just don't listen."

"Aa, I know. But attacking them is only going to make matters worse. If the Yondaime gets into this, it's not going to be pleasant." He sounded a little sympathetic, almost as though he knew what it was like to get a punishment from the Hokage himself.

"I don't care. The Yondaime's just like the rest of them," I snapped, not caring that he was only trying to help.

He sighed. "If that's what you think, I really can't change your mind. Just try not to let them get to you." And with that, he was gone, likely to speak with his teammates about his next Jounin mission.

And again, I was alone.

As I always was.

As I always would be.

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_Author's note:_ Well, I thought I'd test this out. Lackofname desperately wants to know about Kuro's backstory, and I was planning on writing it out anyway, so here's the first chapter. I'm not sure how many chapters will be in this story, and I don't know how often the updates will happen, so you might want to put this on your story alerts, just in case. Who knows? If we're all extremely fortunate, I'll be able to put up more than one chapter in one day. Don't expect that to happen regularly, though, if it happens even once. That will _NOT_ be the case all the time.

Review, don't flame, and if you don't like this character, then don't read the goddamned story. It's your choice. I'm just writing out all the things I've worked out for her backstory and the reasons she's so messed up. I'm sure you have some OCs that I really wouldn't like, and I would be considerate about it and not tell you how much they suck or how stupid they are. I expect the same courtesy from you.


	2. Chapter 2

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**The Birth Of Death**

**Chapter Two**

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Nothing is as easy as it looks, everything takes longer than you expect, and if something can go wrong, it will, at the worst possible moment.

I'd heard that said many times. A lot of people said it, and it was a common adage in the years after the Kyuubi no Yoko's attack. Everything was going wrong, and it didn't look like anything was going to look up anytime soon. First, the village was completely leveled in less than a day. Then, the idiot Yondaime cast his own life aside by sealing the Nine-Tails inside a newborn child. After that, the villagers lived in fear of the Kyuubi breaking the seal and ravaging the village a second time. And as if all that wasn't enough, the village's most prestigious clan was completely wiped out by one of their own. I had always known that Itachi was unstable, as I was, but this wasn't something I, or anyone, could have expected from him. At least that got him out of my way. After all, he couldn't stay in Konoha after doing something like that.

It wasn't all bad, though. I was fifteen now, and I had passed the Chuunin exams about five years ago. The second test, often said to be the most difficult, was a trivial task, as I saw it, and not long after that, I was accepted into the ANBU. And of course, when captains were chosen, who do you think was refused that honour? Right. Me. And it wasn't for lack of skill, either. I had heard more than one of the captains saying that I had all of the necessary skills to be a captain, but because I was a half-blood, because I wasn't one thing or the other, but trapped in between, people didn't trust me in a position of such power. They were prejudiced against me simply because I wasn't like them. But as I said, not all of it was terrible. By now, not so many people said so many cruel things to me. Not to my face, anyway. I knew they still talked about me behind my back, but it was a start.

One of our local Jounin had taken a bit of interest in me, and I spent a lot of time hanging around her. She was almost like the older sister I never had. So she was a bit insane. So she had been trained by the Sannin Orochimaru. So she knew a few forbidden skills. So fuckin' what? She understood me. She understood what I had to go through, everything I had to tolerate, and she actually _cared._ Mitarashi Anko was the only one, from my village at least, who had ever treated me like a person, like I wasn't just some monster that didn't deserve to live.

I'll admit, I was curious about the forbiden techniques she had learned, and yes, I wanted her to teach them to me. But she wouldn't do it, and gave me the same response every time I asked her why. "These jutsu are classified as "Forbidden" for a reason, Kuro. They're illegal and immoral, and I won't be responsible for teaching you the Black Arts," she would tell me, and no matter how much I begged, she would say nothing more on the matter.

That's not to say that she didn't tell me about the things she had done, though. I don't know why, but all the crimes she had committed while in Orochimaru's service, and all the different ways she had killed people intrigued me. I was fascinated by death, and by stories of people suffering. Okay, sure, I was a bit of a sadist. But I liked to hear about it. And the gruesome ways she described it all didn't bother me. In fact, that was part of what made it so enthralling. I could actually picture the bodies broken and bleeding, and I actually enjoyed it.

It was strange, how similar Anko and I were. Both of us had been fascinated by the Black Arts from a very young age. We had both been isolated from our peers, thus making us mentally and emotionally unstable. We were both exceptionally strong. And both of us were sick and twisted people, as a result of our respective histories. But the paths we would take went in opposite directions. Hers would lead to a normal life as a respected member of society. Mine? The path of a murderer. An assassin. An S-Ranked criminal. But again, I'm ahead of myself.

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"So tell me again why we're here, Anko-san?"

She had dragged me into the tea shop when I was _supposed_ to be going to join up with my ANBU squad for a mission. Okay, maybe "dragged" is too strong a word. She just told me to follow her, and orders are orders. And for once, I actually _wanted_ to go on this mission, and our captain didn't take too kindly to lateness or ducking out at the last minute for no reason.

"You're the one who's always so eager to talk to me. I figured today would be no different," she told me with a light shrug as she ordered a plate of dango. We often came to the tea shop to talk, and normally, I would have liked nothing better than to remain behind and talk with her, but today was different. Today, I would get in a lot of trouble if I didn't make it on time.

"Anko-san, you _know_ I have a mission today. If I miss it, Koujirou-sama will have my head!" I didn't mean to snap. Really, I didn't. But she had known, for as long as I had, that I had this mission, and I couldn't exactly refuse to go on any mission, no matter how much I wanted to. But this mission was different. We were going to Sunagakure to deliver an important document, and it so happened that my boyfriend of that time lived in Sunagakure. Shigeru, as he was called, was the eldest son of the Kazekage, and he had been wanting me to meet his father for quite some time, but I hadn't had the chance to get away from Konoha long enough to do that. However, I had the chance now, and I was determined to make a good impression.

There was a slight problem, though. The Kazekage didn't know that I wasn't human. As far as he knew, I was just a regular girl. He couldn't have been any more wrong.

Anko chose this moment to speak, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, I know, but a few minutes isn't going to hurt ya."

I sighed. Anko had no idea how important this mission was, not just for Konoha, but for me. This could be a great opportunity for me, and there was no way I was going to miss it for anything.

"Look, Anko-san, I'm flattered that you want to talk to me so badly, but I have to get going."

It was her turn to sigh. "That's right, your boyfriend lives in Suna, doesn't he? Well, go on then. But I'm warning you, the people in Suna aren't as receptive to youkai as Konoha's people are."

My expression hardened, and without another word, I stood and left the shop, hurrying towards the village gate.

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The mission went smoothly enough. We were planning on staying in Suna overnight and getting an early start the next morning, so I had plenty of time to meet Shigeru's father and spend some time with Shigeru himself afterwards. Little did I know, my life was about to go from bad to worse in one night.

"Kuro? Is that you?"

_That was lucky,_ I thought. _I haven't even been searching five minutes, and there he is!_

I turned around to face the speaker, and sure enough, there he was, not even four feet away.

"Shigeru!"

Before I could say another word, he had picked me up and was spinning me around, quite obviously happy to see me.

"Shigeru, put me down!" I couldn't keep myself from laughing. He was always like this around me, and I absolutely loved it.

He set me down on my feet and grinned at me. That smile always had a way of making me feel good whenever I saw it, knowing that it was reserved for me, and me alone.

"What are you doing here?"

"I had a mission with my ANBU squad to deliver some important documents, and we're staying overnight," I said, smiling back at him as he took my hand.

"It's so good to see you again. I haven't been able to think of anything else since my last visit to Konoha," he told me, his grin never faltering as he started to lead me towards his father's office. "Don't worry, Dad'll love you," he said, sensing my discomfort.

"I hope you're right," I muttered, trying to force myself to calm down. A demon's emotions are clearly projected in his or her aura, so if I was afraid, everyone in the room would know it.

"No worries. It'll be fine." He stopped just outside the door, shooting a glare at his younger sister, who had been giving me a dirty look a moment before. She scurried away, glancing over her shoulder only once before disappearing from sight.

"Don't mind Temari. She's just bitchy because I have a new favourite," he smirked, managing to bring my smile back. "There. That's better." He opened the door and followed me through.

_How can he be so confident_? I wondered.

My blood ran cold as the Kazekage looked up at me, his expression immediately becoming one of intense dislike, and Anko's words came back to me.

"_The people in Suna aren't as receptive to youkai as Konoha's people are._"

"Shigeru, is _this_ the one you're constantly going on about?" Not good. Shigeru's father already sounded angry, and I had yet to say a word.

"Yes, Father. This is Hatake Kuro." Shigeru somehow managed to remain calm. Inwardly, I was freaking out, but I remained silent and just let Shigeru do the talking.

The Kazekage's next words were worse than a slap across the face. I could almost hear the venom dripping from his voice as he said, "This is unacceptable. Shigeru, this girl isn't even human! She is a _demon_, Shigeru, and given the chance, she can and likely will kill you!"

It was now that I chose to speak.

"Kazekage-sama, while it's true that some of my people would sooner kill a human than look at them, that isn't what the majority of us are like. That's just a stereotype."

His glare intensified, and I could tell that I had just made a huge mistake.

"Father, she's telling the truth! Most youkai aren't like that at all!"

"You are a disgrace, Shigeru. Going so low as to fall in love with one of them."

Shigeru looked stricken. I knew how he felt. Those words had cut deeper than any knife ever could. But nothing could hurt more than what his father said next.

"I will not have my son associating with one of these creatures. I don't want to see _either of you_ in my village again."

I couldn't believe it. He was exiling his own son just because of the company he kept?

"But Father-"

"I don't want to hear it, Shigeru. Get out. And if either of you ever set foot in Sunagakure again, I'll have you executed. Understood?"

Shigeru narrowed his eyes at his father, and spoke in a hateful voice that I had never heard him use before. "Yes, _sir_. You won't hear from me again."

_Is this really Shigeru? I mean, it's Shigeru, but it's not **my** Shigeru,_ I thought, following him as he left his father's office. My comrades were already there, waiting for me, all with sympathetic expressions. Even Koujirou looked like he felt sorry for me.

"Give her a few minutes, and then we'll go," he quietly told the others, leading them away and leaving me alone with Shigeru.

Shigeru looked down at me with sorrowful eyes and pulled me into his arms, both of us knowing that this would be the last time he held me like this. The last time we would see each other at all.

"Kuro...I'm so sorry...I didn't think this would happen," he whispered as I tightened my grip on him.

"It isn't your fault. Please, don't blame yourself," I told him, my voice shaking nearly as much as my body was.

I couldn't stop myself from trembling. I had never thought that my relationship with Shigeru would end like this.

"I'm sorry...I have to leave now."

He kissed me one last time, and when he pulled away from me and turned around, I was shocked by what I saw.

He was crying.

_Shigeru_ was crying.

The tears were barely visible, but they were there. And then I realized, he wasn't the only one in tears.

It was the only time in my entire life that I have cried. It had never happened before, and it has never happened again.

"Do whatever it takes in your heart to leave me behind," he said.

"Shigeru...I won't forget...I can't. You will always be with me..."

"And you with me...Goodbye, love."

And with that, he was gone. I never saw him again. I don't think I ever will. If he is even alive today, I don't know. And you know...I really don't care.

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_Author's Note:_ Wow. That came out a lot darker than I thought it would, especially the end of the chapter. And listening to sad, emo-ish music while I was writing it didn't help matters much. (gigglefit) Wait...Yes it did. I _wanted_ this to be dark. Normally, I can't write angst. At all. But y'know, this is coming together very nicely. I'm enjoying the writing process, and **Lackofname** is clearly enjoying it also. Speaking of my dear **Lackofname**, I'd like to thank her for being the first reviewer for this story, and for the kind words in said review. It was exactly what I needed to cheer me up today. Thank you, sweetheart, and I'll see what I can do about another chapter tomorrow, mmkay?


	3. Chapter 3

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**The Birth Of Death**

**Chapter Three**

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After the incident in Sunagakure, my life just continued its downward spiral, until I had nothing left. At eighteen, I was completely alone. My mother had died years ago, and Kakashi and I had stopped speaking almost entirely. Even Anko had abandoned me. I had immersed myself in learning the Dark Arts, and by now, I was fully consumed by my hate. I had fallen too far, sunk too low. It was too late for me. I couldn't be saved, even if I wanted to be. And I didn't.

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The final blow came upon returning from an ANBU mission with a critically injured teammate. I was given orders by Koujirou to file our squad's report while the rest of my team took our injured comrade to the hospital. So, in spite of just wanting to go home, I did what I was told and went to the ANBU headquarters.

As soon as I walked through the door, I knew there was going to be trouble. I was already receiving glares, and I had just gotten back into town five minutes ago.

"What did you _do_ to him, Hatake!"

I turned around to face the man who had just spoken.

"We all saw Hiroaki-san's wounds, and knowing who he was with, we can guess who caused them."

My eyes narrowed, and I heard myself involuntarily growl. "What? Just because I was with him, that makes me the prime suspect?"

"In a word, yes."

"Everyone knows what you're like, Kuro-teme."

"We wouldn't put it past you."

"Once a monster, always a monster."

It figured. They were ganging up on me when they knew there was no way I could fight back. If I said anything, they'd find a way to twist it and turn it into either a confession or a threat that could get me on the Hokage's bad side. And I sure as Hell wasn't going to attack them.

"Are you done? I have a report to file, thank you," I snapped, shoving past them and snatching a few papers and a pen off of a nearby table. Filling out forms was troublesome, but I really didn't have much choice in the matter. Besides, the sooner I got this done, the sooner I could go home.

I heard a voice behind me as I handed the papers to Kourjirou, who had just walked through the door.

"Don't bother showing up for your mission tomorrow, Hatake."

I spun around and glared at the speaker, one of the ANBU's higher-ups, Toya Mirokose. He'd had something against me ever since I first made it into the ANBU, and to be honest, I wasn't too fond of him, either.

"Say what, Mirokose-teme?"

He smirked, and I knew I wasn't going to like what he said next.

"You're done. Through. Finished. You are no longer part of the ANBU."

I was incredulous. "On whose orders!"

"The Hokage himself ordered it. So get out. You're not welcome here anymore."

That was it. That was the last thing I could take. That was all it took to make me snap.

"That's it. I've had enough of you pretentious idiots treating me like I'm your personal punching bag. You can find someone else to use as your stress-reliever. As of now, this village is no longer my home. I don't care anymore. I'm done taking this abuse. I'm _leaving_."

Without waiting for any of them to respond, I turned on my heel and left the building, then headed back to my miniscule apartment to pick up the rest of my weapons. I was going to need them, wherever I decided to go.

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In the dark of the midnight hour, I left my apartment and started for the village gate. I was through just standing by and doing nothing about the treatment I got from everyone in my village and everywhere else. From now on, I was looking out for number one. From now on, I was the only one who mattered.

"Kuro, you're making a big mistake."

I stopped, but didn't bother to turn around. I didn't care what my brother had to say.

"Just wait it out. Things will get better for you. Just show them they the things they say don't bother you, and eventually, you'll get the respect you want."

"Is that what you think?" I asked with a cynical smirk. "That I want respect? No. I don't care about respect. All I want is acceptance. I want to be accepted. I don't give a damn if they hate me, just as long as they accept me. But that's never going to happen. I'm _not_ going to wait around for that. I've waited eighteen years, and I'm not going to keep waiting. I'm leaving."

Impassive as ever, Kakashi just sighed. "Fine. I don't suppose there's much I can do about it. But as a nukenin, you're-"

"An enemy. I know. And y'know what? I don't care," I snapped, starting to walk away again.

"I hope you know what you're getting into," he said, before turning around and walking away, himself.

"It doesn't matter," I muttered. "Whichever path I take, it will end the same way. And if we ever meet again...I won't hesitate to kill you."

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I had no idea where I was going to go. For the better part of a week, I just wandered Hi no Kuni's boundaries and lived off of whatever I could kill. I had always said I wasn't just some wild animal, and now I was becoming one.

And then, _he_ appeared. I had only heard of him, mostly out of Anko's stories, but now I was about to meet him face-to-face.

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It was the middle of the night, and I was soaked. Why? Because I had tripped over a root and fallen into a river earlier. That, and it was raining. I had taken shelter under an oak tree, and was planning on waiting out the storm. And then, I heard it. That snakelike voice that Anko had said belonged to the one man she hated the most. One of the most feared nukenin in history. Orochimaru.

"You aren't doing as well as you'd hoped, are you?"

I stood and pulled a kunai from the pouch on my leg, my eyes searching for the man the voice belonged to.

"Now, now. No need for violence. I just came to talk."

I whirled around and lashed out with my kunai. I winced when he grabbed my arm and, applying pressure to my wrist, forced me to drop my weapon.

"I told you I just wanted to talk. But if you so desperately want to fight, I supppose I could do that, too."

"Let go of me, unless you want your eyes gouged out." I was all talk at the moment, but fear can do that to you. When you're afraid, you freeze up. You can't think. You can't fight. All you can do is try to bluff your way out until you get your courage back. And usually, by that time, it's too late.

"If you'll be quiet for a moment and listen to me, then I will. I have an offer for you," he told me with a smirk, as if to say, "I know what you want, and I can give it to you."

"What sort of offer?" Now I was interested.

"I know how much you hate humans, and that you want to get rid of your filthy human blood. I can do that for you. But you'll have to do something for me, first."

Could he really destroy my human side? I doubted it. Even Orochimaru had his limits. But that was a risk I wasn't going to take.

"What do you want me to do?"

"It's quite simple, really. All you need to do is kill one hundred humans of my choice. That won't be a problem for you, I'm sure."

I paused. What if some people from my village were on that list? What if my own brother was on that list?

I smirked. But, as they say, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is, and I wasn't going to take the chance of agreeing to this without knowing the conditions. "What's the catch?"

"Catch? Oh, there's no catch. Just make sure you kill them in the most painful way possible. Do we have a deal, Kuro-san?"

I didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

I also didn't ask how he knew my name. It didn't matter. All that mattered now was wiping out those targets and ridding myself of my dirty human blood at last, if Orochimaru really could do it.

A deal with the devil. So many people have sold their souls for something they have wished for all their lives. I had just become one of those people. And as I saw it, that was the best decision I could have made.

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The Akatsuki was my destination after that. Getting into the leader's favour was simple, and keeping any of them from finding out about my deal with Orochimaru was even easier. They didn't ask, so why say anything to invite trouble?

The Kuro Shi. The Black Death. The Black Cat. I was known as all of these. The day I met Orochimaru, my destiny was decided. I knew what I was, and what I was meant to be. On that day, I was turned into the embodiment of pain. The very personification of bad luck.

I became death.

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_Author's Note:_ There will only be one more chapter after this, and hopefully, it won't suck. I didn't like this chapter as much as I liked the previous two, but my muse is dying, and I haven't eaten for six hours or more. I don't write particularly well when my muse is dead, so this explains the bad quality. The hunger doesn't exactly help matters either.

Last chapter is coming soon. Actually, it will likely be up tonight. I'll see what I can do, but still, no promises.


	4. Chapter 4

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**The Birth Of Death**

**Chapter Four**

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It's dark, and getting harder to see. I don't know how long I've been here, or how much blood I've lost. My mind is starting to dull, and I can't think clearly.

I can't believe they left me here to die. These wounds won't kill me. A normal human would have been dead long before now, and I'm not. I won't die. These wounds are nothing for me. I can feel them starting to heal already.

I never thought that Kakashi would use the Chidori on me, of all people. The damage won't stay, but it's still there. It's times like this that make me glad I can't feel pain.

A rustling in the trees catches my attention. My hand automatically goes for my katana, but I hear a familiar voice and I release the hilt.

"Looks like you took a lot of damage, un."

Deidara. The teammate who drives me absolutely crazy. It figures. And yet, for someone who appears so brainless, he's a brilliant tactician, and comes up with the most elaborate plans of anyone I've ever met.

"I've told you, my body is different from yours. It heals at least five times faster than a human's body," I tell him wearily. Strangely enough, I haven't lost it with him yet. Normally, by now I would have punched him out.

"I know that, but damn, that must've hurt, un," he says with a grin.

I roll my eyes at him and lean back against the tree I'm sitting under. "I can't feel pain, idiot." Actually, that's not entirely true. Most weapons and jutsu can't hurt me unless I've already taken a lot of damage, and by that time, I've usually brought my opponent down. That's not to say, however, that I'm entirely invincible. If you know what weapons to use, any demon can be brought down easily. And sometimes, the inability to feel pain is more of a curse than a blessing. More often than not, when I'm injured, I don't even know it because I didn't feel my flesh tear. But if a certain type of weapon is used on me, you can bet that I'll feel it. And then the idiot who hit me with it dies.

"Oh." He says nothing else. I'm thankful that he's stopped speaking. If it was possible for me to get a headache, I'd have one by now.

"You probably shouldn't stay out here, un."

I should have known he wouldn't shut up for very long. He never does. I sigh and open my eyes. My vision is clear again, but I stay where I am. I really don't feel like moving right now.

"Tch. Why not? I doubt the others will be expecting me to return alive," I intone bitterly.

"Of course they are. Why do you think they sent me back, un?" He asks, his grin fading.

"Because they don't want someone to find my body and get too much information on our whereabouts. Or Sasori wanted a new puppet," I suggest, prepared to list off a few more reasons. Truthfully, I'm not too sure whether to believe that the others would send anyone back for me.

He sulks and says, "Okay, fine. They didn't send me back at all, un."

"Then why the Hell are you here?" I glare at him, my annoyance building.

He shrugs, but says nothing. I'm nearly ready to put my katana through his chest right about now, but I know that our leader wouldn't be too pleased with me if I did. That's really the only thing that's keeping me from doing it.

"Come on. Those Leaf-nin will likely be back to finish the job, un." He holds out his hand to help me up, and before I can stop myself, I take it. I stand and pull my hand out of his, shooting a half-hearted glare at him as I do. For some reason, the irritation I normally feel when I'm around him isn't there. The hate is gone, too. I don't know why, but somehow, something tells me that I can trust him.

"Hey. You coming?" He looks back at me, seemingly concerned by my hesitation.

"Yeah."

I used to believe that we are all damned to something. That principle eventually ended up becoming the very creed that I built my entire existence on. My damnation was the fact that I would be forever caught between two worlds: the human world, and the demon world. That I would never be accepted as I was, so I had to change and become one thing or the other. I wouldn't be good enough for anyone until I did.

I'm unsure, but maybe my external wounds aren't the only ones that are starting to heal. It could be that I'm not as alone as I think. It's possible that to him, I'm not just another creature of the night. Maybe, just maybe, he has accepted me all along.

_Bokura wa ima demo sagashiteru,_

_Kasoku shita SPEED wa kaerarenai._

_Tsuyosa to kakugo tsunagitomete._

_Hashiri-tsuzukenakereba mirai wa nai,_

_Tsukisusume tobira no mukou e._

((The two of us are searching, even now,

This accelerated speed can never go back.

Bind your strength and resolution together.

If we don't continue to run, there is no future,

So move forward, beyond the door.))

**FIN**

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_Author's Note_: There you have it. A brief history of the Black Death assassin. And now, out of the darkness, a ray of hope shines through.

I know that this chapter was incredibly short, but there was only so much I could do from here. Besides, I'm getting writer's block again, and I wanted to finish this before it set in.

You'll notice that this chapter was written in the present tense, unlike the past three, which were written in past. My reason for doing this was to show how Kuro's life has changed from past to present, and what she's like now, as opposed to how she was then.

The bit at the end are the final lines from FullMetal Alchemist's second end theme, Tobira no Mukou E, and the translation for it. I thought it fits, so I put it in.

Don't expect too much by way of updates for my other story. At the moment, I'm trying to convince my mother to let me get an Ichigo costume (Bleach, not Tokyo Mew Mew...oh God, no.) and I have to find a way to pay it off if I _do_ get it. So that likely means getting a job, and that means less time to write. Sorry, guys!


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